do what you love Page 41 of 61

Kyoto cafes part 2 – Infinity Cafe

Written by

Kyoto cafes part 2 - Infinity Cafe infin1

I just had to introduce you to this little gem… Infinity Café is tucked away down a leafy lane off a residential street not too far from Sanjo Market.

Just a few minutes from a very busy road, it is like you step into some kind of bubble as you enter through the wooden sliding doors into what is essentially someone’s house.

Kyoto cafes part 2 - Infinity Cafe infin2

You are greeted with a tinkling bell and the nutty aroma of freshly baked bread. This is both a local bakery and a front room café which holds no more than six customers at a time, sat around a low Japanese-style table with a view over the luscious garden. That’s what I call close to my kind of perfect.

London 2012 – the real legacy

Written by

London 2012 - the real legacy 080214 Trinidad Tobago 032 I took this picture on a UNICEF field visit to Trinidad & Tobago back in 2008, when we were in the early stages of planning the London 2012 legacy programme.  Next to the court a young boy was knelt down sharpening a massive knife.

Today sees the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. This was an important date in my calendar for many years, so it is with mixed emotions that I find myself watching it from a distance on the other side of the world.

The Olympics have been a major feature in my life and a source of many adventures. It is an event like no other – there’s a reason they call it the Greatest Show on Earth.

(more…)

Brave

Written by

Brave movie -image courtesy of Pixar WikiBrave movie -image via Pixar Wiki

 

A few days ago, my man and I decided to go to the cinema to watch a lovely new cartoon from Disney Pixar. In Japanese it is called “Merida to osoroshi no mori”. We picked it because we generally love everything Pixar does. We had a couple of spare hours before the film began, so we went to a cafe and ended up having a long and very thought provoking conversation about bravery and courage, topics I have been thinking a lot about lately and which feature heavily in Do What You Love courses.

(more…)

Fog Linen

Written by

Fog Linen fog1

Tucked away down a quiet street in the trendy Tokyo district of Shimokitazawa is a shop that might just take your breath away. Its rough concrete walls and wire shelves sit alongside old wooden furniture and quirky lampshades, all playing host to the beautiful products offered by fog linen. Carefully curated to offer delight at every turn, the natural colours of the linen – shaped into clothing, bags, children’s shoes, napkins and all sorts of other goods, are calming and enticing.

(more…)

Tokyo International Stationery Show

Written by

Tokyo International Stationery Show

Trade Shows come in all shapes and sizes, and cover every industry you can imagine. What is your dream show? I always thought mine would be a stationery trade show, where you can see what is on the horizon, meet suppliers directly, get ideas and inspiration and generally spend hours walking around a massive hall of gorgeous stationery. And I was not disappointed when I visite ISOT 2012 as research for The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. It was huge, exciting and eye-opening.

(more…)

A little trip to the big smoke

Written by

Bullet train

The other day I packed myself onto the super-fast shinkansen (bullet train) and whizzed up to Tokyo for the International Stationery & Office Products Show (more on that later).

A little trip to the big smoke shibuya

Shibuya

It felt so big, bright and noisy after Kyoto, so I also spent some time exploring the quieter, trendy areas of Jiyugaoka and Shimokitazawa. When I first moved to Tokyo I lived in a friend’s spare room in Jiyugaoka for a couple of months so it was lovely to go back and see it.

I met up with lots of old friends, did a bit too much shopping and got a haircut. Fun trip! Here are a few snapshots of the quieter side of the city.

A little trip to the big smoke tok9

A little trip to the big smoke tok1

the entrance to the cute little hotel I stayed at in Aoyama

A little trip to the big smoke tok2

quirky shops in Jiyugaoka

 A little trip to the big smoke tok5

A little trip to the big smoke tok4

A little trip to the big smoke tok3

A little trip to the big smoke tok6

any post for me?

A little trip to the big smoke tok7

A little trip to the big smoke tok8

The quiet moment before the crowds come

Written by

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion7

Final preparations are made on this boat-shaped float, just before the parade begins

The Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It is over a month long, and on the three nights leading up to the main parade, the main streets are closed to traffic, allowing tens of thousands of people – many in summer kimonos – to wander around soaking up the glow from the floats adorned with lanterns. (Night pictures to follow soon…)

 The quiet moment before the crowds come gion4

We got up early to go downtown and get up close to the Gion Matsuri festival floats before the crowds decended. Here is what we found…

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion5

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion2

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion6

Exquisite paintwork on the gold leaf ceiling of the float

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion1

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion8

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion9

The quiet moment before the crowds come gion3